I expect that part of the answer is that LE can do nothing until a crime is committed. Should his roomies have raised concerns with "authorities", it is likely this perp would have made life even more uncomfortable for those around him. So you put up with him and hope for the best. Even given all the red flags before the Ft. Hood murders, "authorities" acted too late. Al-Zahrani was well under the radar.

He was acting "crazy" I suppose; with the knife in particular. Perhaps the good folks at The Binghamton Psychiatric Center could have helped out if they knew about him, perhaps. Some folks present with even more bizzare behavior and seem to do "alright". Me thinks I smell a defense plea of insanity in the future for Al-Zahrani.

My $.02.

RF 1

This is what I was trying to bring out. Sorry to cause so much disruption...

I am tired of hearing after any kind of event similar to this (doesn't have to be a college/school shooting) that people start saying the person in question was behaving in a manner that was not "normal" or expected.

I am not sure it can be solved entirely, but if someone would open their mouth and talk to a counselor, cop, doc, nurse....it could prevent this type of tragedy from occurring, IMO.

__________________
The question is never simply IF someone is lying, it's WHY. - Lie To Me

We must always fear the wicked. But there is another kind of evil that we must fear the most, and that is the indifference of good men - Boondock Saints

Iraq was never lost and Afghanistan was never quite the easy good war. Those in the media too often pile on and follow the polls rather than offer independent analysis. Campaign rhetoric and politics are one thing - the responsibility of governance is quite another.
- Victor Davis Hanson

This is what I was trying to bring out. Sorry to cause so much disruption...

I am tired of hearing after any kind of event similar to this (doesn't have to be a college/school shooting) that people start saying the person in question was behaving in a manner that was not "normal" or expected.

I am not sure it can be solved entirely, but if someone would open their mouth and talk to a counselor, cop, doc, nurse....it could prevent this type of tragedy from occurring, IMO.

Your point is of value, and I agree.

Consider if you will, the number of times a perp was described as," a quiet person who would not hurt a fly". "He was a nice quiet man who kept to himself". If you," open your mouth", and get it wrong....woe be unto you. Financial and personal havoc follows. You cough up all you own at the direction of a court. The perp wins and moves on to greener pastures, and then kills.

IMHO, if the ACLU would look to the pain of the victim, and not to the defense of the perp, this nation would be safer, and better for it!!!!